Retired Turkish ambassador: Text of Turkey-Armenia protocols is wrong from start to finish

The former head of the Caucasus Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, retired ambassador Candan Azer commented on plans of the Turkish FM Ahmet Davutoglu to meet with the Armenian Diaspora.

Azer said before establishing ties with the Diaspora one should think how the diaspora will act.

"In 1945, when Stalin demanded land from Turkey, people from the Diaspora were also invited to the election of the Catholicos of Echmiadzin. The ties between the Armenians and the Diaspora Armenians in Armenia strengthened since then. This is unavoidable because the only reason for their existence is hostile attitude to the Turks,” Azer said.

“Would you cut the branch on which you sit? How one can expect such a move from the Armenians? On the contrary, such a meeting would give them an opportunity for propaganda. They will argue that the events of 1915 were genocide and demand to return the “occupied” lands to compensate the victims' families, etc ... That is, it may not lead to anything but the propaganda by the Diaspora.”

Azeri noted that the work started with errors will go wrong path.

“First, the decision on mediation of countries in the discussions was wrong. Secondly, it was wrong to charge Switzerland with a task of mediator, because Switzerland arrests those who say that the Armenian Genocide did not happen. And the text of protocols is wrong from start to finish,” Azer added.

“Once the borders are opened, Armenia will survive starvation. And then Armenia will be interested in nothing. Goods will be delivered from Europe to Armenia via Turkey. And the commission of historians will not meet, and no other work will be undertaken.”

However, the parliament, where AKP holds majority, will not vote for the protocols because there are people in AKP who understand that the protocols are mistake, the former Turkish diplomat said.


/APA/